"Somehow though you come in the morning hopeful that you will make a difference, believing you can change a life, having faith that each child has the potential to succeed." --Melissa Read more...

Overview of Hartford Choice
Established in September 1996, the Hartford Choice Program is based on Baltimore, Maryland's nationally recognized service model for delinquency prevention. Recent college graduates donate one-year of their lives to assume the role of caseworker and mentor to inner-city youth caught up in the judicial system.

Guiding Philosophy
Choice recognizes that traditional programs often fail due to the complex nature of the problems facing youth and their families.

By working from within the community (and whenever possible, within the family), our caseworkers are able to develop and implement individualized service plans, and create comprehensive aftercare programs.

Choice's Historical Roots
Choice's guiding philosophy is rooted in the deinstitutionalization of Massachusetts' mental health hospitals, during the late 1970s. As young people residing in these facilities were returned to their communities, a need arose for intensive community and residential supervision. It was under these circumstances that Massachusetts developed the Key program. Since its inception, the Key program has helped thousands of youth and their families progress through the juvenile justice, child welfare, mental health, and education systems.

In the mid 1980s, Maryland looked to the Key Program as a model to address rising juvenile delinquency issues in its inner-city neighborhoods. Maryland designed its new program, "Choice," upon the premise of recruiting recent college graduates to work with youth and families in need of intensive case management.

Baltimore quickly grew with an astonishing success rate. In fact, the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Planning (OJJDP) officially recognized Baltimore Choice for its outstanding series of successes. Today, the Choice's charter program has extended its outreach for at-risk youth beyond Baltimore's city limits into surrounding Maryland counties.

By the mid 1990s, the Choice Program began to be replicated nationally, with sites opening in San Diego, California and Hartford, Connecticut.